Cardiovascular Aerospace Medicine
The Department for Cardiovascular Aerospace Medicine investigates gene-environmental influences on the human cardiovascular system. We focus on real and simulated weightlessness, atmosphere conditions, nutrition, and exercise. The major aim is to elucidate mechanisms of cardiovascular structural and functional adaptation and how these responses are integrated by the autonomic nervous system.
Human space experiments are flanked by highly controlled terrestrial studies in healthy persons and in patients in close collaboration with leading university medical faculties. Combination of physiological or pharmacological challenges with high-fidelity human phenotyping and biomedical engineering is our particular strength. Moreover, we translate observations in patients with rare cardiovascular conditions and defined genetic variants to astronauts confronting spaceflight and vice versa. The ultimate goal is to improve diagnostics, cardiovascular countermeasures, and treatments in space, in aeronautics, and on Earth.
Teams
Advanced Functional Imaging (Dr. rer. nat. Darius Gerlach)
- Probing the brain-heart axis with brain and cardiac imaging
- Functional MRI assessment of the brainstem and hypothalamus, the centers of autonomic control
- Autonomic nervous system testing within the MRI scanner, for the characterization of functional and neuroplastic adaptations to immobilization, diseases, and life style
- Cardiac real-time MRI under extreme environments, including hypoxic condition and immobilization for the detection of cardiovascular deconditioning
- Unique combinations of cardio vascular challenges such as lower body negative pressure during real-time MRI and physiological monitoring
- Individual phenotyping with dynamic functional cardiovascular real-time MRI
Cardiovascular Control in Health and Disease (PD Dr. med. Karsten Heusser)
- High fidelity cardiovascular phenotyping including direct measurements of muscle sympathetic nerve activity in healthy subjects and in patients with rare autonomic disorders as model for spaceflight conditions
- Inflight experiments (parabolic flights and ISS missions)
- Validation of certified non-invasive methods under extreme environment conditions
- Application and development of physiological and pharmacological methods and challenges, e.g. head-down tilt bed rest studies
- Determine the efficacy of drug therapy as well as nonmedical treatments including countermeasures and physical training
- Improving early detection of cardiovascular disease in space and in terrestrial medicine